Nim's Island

By

Wendy Orr

A Novel Study by Nat Reed

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Nim's IslandBy Wendy Orr

Table of Contents

Suggestions and Expectations ..…………………………….….....… 3

List of Skills ….……………………………….…………………...…… 4

Synopsis / Author Biography …..……………………………...…… 5

Student Checklist ……………………………………………...……… 6

Reproducible Student Booklet ..………………………………...…… 7

Answer Key ...……………………………………………………...…… 60

About the author: Nat Reed has been a member of the teaching profession for more than 30 years. He was a full-time instructor for nine years at Trent University in the Teacher Education Program. For more information on his work and literature, please visit the websites www.reedpublications.org and www.novelstudies.org.

Copyright © 2015 Nat ReedAll rights reserved by author.

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.

Not for public display.

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Nim's IslandBy Wendy Orr

Suggestions and Expectations

This curriculum unit can be used in a variety of ways. Each chapter of the novel study focuses onone or two chapters of Nim's Island and is comprised of five of the following different activities:

• Before You Read• Vocabulary Building• Comprehension Questions• Language Activities• Extension Activities

Links with the Common Core Standards (U.S.)

Many of the activities included in this curriculum unit are supported by the Common Core Standards. For instance the Reading Standards for Literature, Grade 5, makes reference to a) determining the meaning of words and phrases. . . including figurative language; b) explaining how a series of chapters fits together to provide the overall structure;c) compare and contrast two characters;d) determine how characters … respond to challenges;e) drawing inferences from the text;f) determining a theme of a story . . . and many others.

A principal expectation of the unit is that students will develop their skills in reading, writing, listening and oral communication, as well as in reasoning and critical thinking. Students will alsobe expected to provide clear answers to questions and well-constructed explanations. It is criticalas well that students be able to relate events and the feelings of characters to their own lives and experiences and describe their own interpretation of a particular passage.

A strength of the unit is that students can work on the activities at their own pace. Every activity need not be completed by all students. A portfolio cover is included (p.7) so that students may organize their work and keep it all in one place. A Student Checklist is also included (p.6) so that a record of completed work may be recorded.

Themes which may be taught in conjunction with the novel include friendship, personal growth,courage/heroism, confronting one's fears, independence.

Additional icons provided by http://robinweatherall.co.uk

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Nim's IslandBy Wendy Orr

List of Skills

Vocabulary Development

1. Locating descriptive words / phrases 7. Identify anagrams 2. Listing synonyms/homonyms 8. Listing compound words3. Identifying / creating alliteration 9. Identifying parts of speech4. Use of capitals and punctuation 10. Identify/create similes5. Identifying syllables 11. Identification of root words6. Identify personification.

Setting Activities

1. Summarize the details of a setting

Plot Activities

1. Complete a time line of events 4. Identify cliffhangers2. Identify conflict in the story 5. Identify the climax of the novel.3. Complete Five W's Chart 6. Complete a Story Pyramid

Character Activities

1. Determine character traits 3. Relating personal experiences2. Identify the protagonist/antagonist 4. Compare characters

Creative and Critical Thinking

1. Research 6. Write a description of personal feelings2. Write a newspaper story 7. Write a book review3. Participate in a talk show 8. Complete an Observation Chart4. Conduct an interview 9. Complete a KWS Chart5. Create a poem 10. Create a friendly letter.

Art Activities

1. A Storyboard 3. Design a cover for the novel2. Create a collage 4. Create a comic strip

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Nim's IslandBy Wendy Orr

Synopsis

Meet Nim – a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a

piece of glass.So she's not afraid when her scientist dad sails off to study plankton for three days,

leaving her alone on their island. Besides, it's not as if no one is looking after her – she's got a sealion to mother her and an iguana for comic relief. She also has an interesting new email pal.

But when her father's cell phone calls stop coming and disaster seems near, Nim has to bestronger and braver than she's ever been before.

And she'll need all her friends to help her. [The Publisher]

A complete synopsis and other helpful reviews can be found online at such sites as the following:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nim's_Island

Author BiographyWendy Orr

Wendy Orr is a Canadian-born Australian writer born inEdmonton, Alberta. She is probably best known as theauthor of Nim's Island, which was made into a film in 2008starring Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin and Gerald Butler.

Wendy Orr wrote her very first draft of Nim’s Island at agenine. An action-packed sequel, Nim at Sea, brings Nim toan even bigger island, when the intrepid island girl stowsaway on a cruise ship bound for Manhattan. Wendy Orr isalso the author of Peeling the Onion, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. [The Publisher]

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Nim's IslandBy Wendy Orr

Student Checklist

Student Name:

Assignment Grade/Level Comments

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Nim's Island

By Wendy Orr

Name:

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Nim's IslandBy Wendy Orr

Chapter 1

Before you read the chapter:

The protagonist in most novels features the main character or “good guy”. The protagonist inNim's Island is Nim, a wild-looking young girl who lives with her dad on a lonely island. Thinkback on some of your favorite characters from past novels that you have read or movies you’veseen. What do you think makes for an especially interesting protagonist?

Vocabulary:

Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.

iguana experiment emergency frigate

plankton machete tropical barometer

1. The fire department will respond very quickly to an ____________. 2. The pirates all fled when they saw the ____________ sail into the harbor.

3. Many sea animals are adapted to feed on ____________ by filtering the water.

4. A ____________ is a scientific instrument used to measure air pressure. 5. An ____________ is a large, tropical American lizard. 6. It is the dream of many Canadians to live in a ____________ climate.

7. The science ____________ required a lot of beakers and test tubes.

8. We used only an old, dull ____________ to carve a path through the jungle.

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Questions

1. What is the setting of the story at the beginning of Chapter One?

2. Describe what was attached to the three cords which hung around Nim's neck?

1.

2.

3.

3. What two creatures responded to Nim's whistle?

4. Describe what happened to Nim's mother.

5. Nim's father, Jack, had gone out to sea and wouldn't return for ________ days.

6. How were Jack and Nim able to get power to charge their cell phone and laptop computer?

7. Describe any two of the scientific tasks that Jack performed on the island.

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8. Why did Jack never tell anyone where their island was located?

9. Nim's favorite tool was a ____________.

10. How did Jack plan on keeping in touch with Nim during his trip? What was she to do if she didn't hear from him for three days?

Good to Know ~ The Top Ten Tropical Islands

Tourists and travellers have long been attracted to the warm,beautiful islands of the tropics. Here are the top ten tropical islandsas compiled by the website, Ordinary Traveler.

1. Bali, Indonesia 2. Maui, Hawaii3. Bora Bora 4. Fiji5. Aruba 6. The Bahamas7. Turks and Caicos 8. Maldive Islands9. Seychelles Islands 10. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

For an extra challenge – investigate one of the above tropical islands and list three fascinating facts about this popular tourist destination.

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Language Activity

A. Anagrams

An anagram is a word that is formed by changing the order of the letters of anotherword. For example, the letters in the word WAS can also form the word SAW. Followthese directions to form the anagrams:

a) read the clue in the right-hand column.

b) Using the word in the left-hand column move the letters around in any order, but youmust use all the letters. All of the words in the left-hand column can be found in the firstchapter of Nim's Island.

Word Anagram Clue

sign Make musical sounds.

greet A heron.

rock A bottle-stopper.

open A slangy negative.

told Goofball.

tides Watches one's food intake.

mothers Suffocate.

Now find four additional words from the first chapter which have interesting anagrams tosee if you can stump a classmate.

Word Anagram Clue

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B. Island Map

Check out the map of Nim's Island found in Chapter One the answer the followingquestions.

1. Using the compass rose as a guide, in which direction would you walk if you were going from Tabletop Garden to Hissing Stones? _____________________

2. What feature on the map is probably the highest point on the island?

_______________________________.

3. In which direction is the ocean current traveling? __________________

4. If you were Nim's dad, what two areas of the map would you tell Nim to stayaway from?

__________________________ __________________________

5. Where might Nim take shelter in the event of a hurricane? _________________

C. A simile is a comparison using the words “like” or “as”. An example from Chapter One is, Fred was an iguana, spiky as a dragon... What two things are being compared in this example?

Invent your own similes comparing the following items with something from your own imagination:

a) a volcano erupting

b) the bark of a sea lion

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Extension Activities

A. Storyboard

A storyboard is a series of pictures that tell about an important eventin a story. A story-board can tell the story of only one scene – or theentire novel. Complete the story-board below illustrating the eventsdescribed in the first chapter of our novel. You may wish to practiceyour drawings on a separate piece of paper.

1 2

3 4

5 6

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B. A Poem Even Nim Would Enjoy

The quatrain is a popular form of rhymed verse. It is a poem of four lines, is usually light and can be humorous. The following quatrain is actually one verse of a much longer poem called I Wish I Could Dine with a Porcupine by Brian Moses which is found on the poetryarchive.org website.

So we make it to the beachmy iguana and me,then he sits on my shoulderas we stroll by the sea....

Various rhyming schemes make up a quatrain poem. As you can see, the above four lines have a rhyming scheme of A – B – C – B Other rhyming schemes include: AABB, AAAA, AABA, ABBA, ABBB, and AAAB.

Your task is to write your own quatrain poem. You may choose a rhyming scheme that fits with your own personal creation. The theme should have something to do with the themes established in the first chapter of our novel.

The Quatrain Poem

Now create your own Quatrain Poem on a subject of your choice. Your poem must follow the format of a quatrain poem described above (and must rhyme).

Title: _______________________________________________

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